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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Mothers chihuahua ate half of my babies grape

356 replies

Anonymous23458d · 19/08/2025 14:37

Just as the title states.. I took my boys 1 and 3 years old to my mothers. She never makes the effort to visit us i see her every other week. She lives with my two other older siblings and my dad. Last year they've bought another chihuahua that is just crazy. They don't train it it bites my children and now my baby is crawling it bites his face and is vicious, it steals food and items and growls when I try and get them. They don't do anything to help just idolise this dog. They have about a 2 metre crate for it, which I have to put it in when it gets vicious with my children.
I went because my eldest loves my older sister who lives there and loves seeing her. I was feeding my one year old downstairs whilst the dog was upstairs. I didn't realise the dog ran down and at the same time my baby threw one half of a grape then another one and the dog ran and ate them up. My sister and mum started screaming and rang the vet who said they must rush her down. All the while so hostile and angry at me when I said I didn't realise and im sorry. I know dogs cant eat grapes but I have a baby and toddler and thought the dog was upstairs. It's hard to manage in basically a glass house with so many ornaments and crap everywhere. It's the opposite of baby proof which I don't expect it to be but she doesn't even help me one bit when I come round. My mum only has interest in her new dog not her grandchildren. She has now sent me the receipt for £105 she's had to pay to make the dog be sick at the vets. I am not paying it and for one don't have that money. AiBu?

OP posts:
Timeforabitofpeace · 20/08/2025 19:53

I can’t believe you took your child to the house where a dog bites its face.

stonegirl · 20/08/2025 19:59

Regarding dogs eating grapes - its only a small possiblilty it would make them ill. My dog got hold of a container with grapes in and eat half of them! he was fine, no after affects at all.
Regarding the family - you dont need people like that in your life....

Hmm1234 · 20/08/2025 20:01

Anonymous23458d · 19/08/2025 14:37

Just as the title states.. I took my boys 1 and 3 years old to my mothers. She never makes the effort to visit us i see her every other week. She lives with my two other older siblings and my dad. Last year they've bought another chihuahua that is just crazy. They don't train it it bites my children and now my baby is crawling it bites his face and is vicious, it steals food and items and growls when I try and get them. They don't do anything to help just idolise this dog. They have about a 2 metre crate for it, which I have to put it in when it gets vicious with my children.
I went because my eldest loves my older sister who lives there and loves seeing her. I was feeding my one year old downstairs whilst the dog was upstairs. I didn't realise the dog ran down and at the same time my baby threw one half of a grape then another one and the dog ran and ate them up. My sister and mum started screaming and rang the vet who said they must rush her down. All the while so hostile and angry at me when I said I didn't realise and im sorry. I know dogs cant eat grapes but I have a baby and toddler and thought the dog was upstairs. It's hard to manage in basically a glass house with so many ornaments and crap everywhere. It's the opposite of baby proof which I don't expect it to be but she doesn't even help me one bit when I come round. My mum only has interest in her new dog not her grandchildren. She has now sent me the receipt for £105 she's had to pay to make the dog be sick at the vets. I am not paying it and for one don't have that money. AiBu?

Chihuahuas are trouble makers aren’t they! Sounds similar to family situations, my vicious 8 year old chihuahua and toddler. Honestly
since the dog sadly passed away life’s been so much easier

MyAcornWood · 20/08/2025 20:34

MzHz · 19/08/2025 18:26

Your mum has dogs that bite your kids and YOU GO AND TAKE THEM BACK?

mate, you’re a headline waiting to happen. Don’t be daft, you want to see your sister, meet her outside the house.

this! Fuck the grapes, the dog would (probably!) have been absolutely fine, the feral little bastard, maybe whack half their way but for goodness sake, stop taking your baby to a home where she isn’t safe!!!

August1980 · 20/08/2025 20:37

Oh op. Massive dog lover here. We had a dog before we had kids and I can honestly say the dog is eating just about anything that flies of the high chair! Rushing the dog the vet is a bit extreme for half a grape. Don’t put your baby at risk, stop taking her around there. If your grown up sister wants to see your kids she needs to make an effort. As much as I love dogs - I wouldn’t be too happy if my baby - also crawling - was bitten. We have a Labrador here who isn’t bothered by the babies coming and going but when we have other baby guests here. I try and let her have a sniff if other baby is ok with it and then I pop her on the other side of the baby gates.

TheCheekyCyanHelper · 20/08/2025 20:52

PluckyChancer · 19/08/2025 15:09

YABU to keep visiting them. You should have reported the dog to the police when it bit your child the first time.

Why on earth are you risking your children’s welfare with that awful dog and your bitch of a mother??

I’d never step foot in her house again if it was me.
Either they visit you at home without bringing the dogs or they choose not to see you.

Edited

It didn't break the skin, so nothing to report.

OchreSnail · 20/08/2025 21:09

I don't have any comments on this, I just love the thread title! It's like beat poetry, or something.

ThistleTits · 20/08/2025 21:28

@Anonymous23458d what would happen if it had ripped the babies face? Leave her to the vicious pet. Your sister knows where you live.

croydon15 · 20/08/2025 22:27

I agree with people that your children are more important that your DM"s dog, if they can't be bothered to train their dog don't go round and tell them why.
People not training their dog are unreasonable.

blacksax · 20/08/2025 22:46

YABU for one reason only, and that is for letting your dc be in the same building as one of those vicious little fuckers chihuahuas.

Muffsies · 20/08/2025 22:50

upandleftthenright · 19/08/2025 14:45

Hmmm. I think you are being unreasonable as you knew grapes were an issue and your DD threw them on the floor, thus opening up the possibility of a dog eating them. They need to supervise their dog, you equally need to supervise you child.

Any post the starts 'Hmmm' 🙄🤣

FreezeDriedStrawberries · 20/08/2025 22:51

They don't train it it bites my children and now my baby is crawling it bites his face and is vicious, it steals food and items and growls when I try and get them
WTAF?! You lost me at this bit. Bites your children?!
Keep the fuck away from them for your kids safety.
Sorry to be blunt but are you mad?!

SurvivalInstinctsOfABakedPotato · 20/08/2025 23:33

Not the point but I had no idea dogs couldn't eat grapes

When I was young (30 years ago) we used to give our yorkies grapes all the time cos it was funny watching them lick roll them around the carpet. Obviously I learn something new every day!

Sorry but also laughed out loud that it's not allowed outside cos it ate a bee 😂

Feel sorry for the dog and you. Ignore her and stop bothering going there

Speckly · 20/08/2025 23:47

Back in the day, before anyone knew what foods were toxic to dogs, we had a little Jack Russell who bloody loved grapes. If I was eating grapes, I’d play with him and roll them fast. He used to love chasing and then eating them. That dog had at least a dozen grapes every time I had grapes and lived to a ripe old age. I think that vet just saw the pound signs. £105? The dog only ate one grape after all… I wouldn’t be paying! Who let the dog back downstairs? They should be footing the bill.

imisscashmere · 21/08/2025 01:12

ThatCyanSheep · 19/08/2025 14:43

YABU to keep taking your children around a dog you know is violent.

This. Tell her you’re not paying the vet’s bill and you’re not coming back to the house while the dog is there.

Returnofjude · 21/08/2025 06:02

The sad things is… in this type of messed up family where they all live together or very local and totally enmeshed in one another’s lives, the Op has probably returned to her mother’s with the dangerous dog present, at least once since the thread started. And that will continue.

sadly, we won’t know it, but we will probably read about the Op and one of her children in the papers one day. A tragic story involving a baby and a dog.

Dogmum6 · 21/08/2025 06:18

I really feel for you with this kind of mum, I really do,but if dogs can't have grapes I wouldn't bring them in the house. There are plenty other fruits the baby could have instead.

DearDenimEagle · 21/08/2025 07:44

I wouldn’t take grapes to a house with dogs. Or a child either, in your situation. The vet must be rubbing his hands. All they had to do was put a bit of salt on the back of the dogs tongue and wait. Sicking up will be within a couple of minutes. Much cheaper. They show where their loyalties lie. Believe them. Don’t go back.

DearDenimEagle · 21/08/2025 07:49

Returnofjude · 21/08/2025 06:02

The sad things is… in this type of messed up family where they all live together or very local and totally enmeshed in one another’s lives, the Op has probably returned to her mother’s with the dangerous dog present, at least once since the thread started. And that will continue.

sadly, we won’t know it, but we will probably read about the Op and one of her children in the papers one day. A tragic story involving a baby and a dog.

Agree with first part, but it is a chihuahua. Not a pit bull. It will bite but not likely to kill. And she did say it was a puppy nip. I’ve a pup now, bites all the time, but it’s playing as it does with other pups. It’s taking longer to stop than my others but I’ll get there. Even on my throat, it isn’t hard enough to break skin, and it’s a lot bigger than a chihuahua.

Whatafustercluck · 21/08/2025 07:53

I think you all need to watch your dc and dog better. I'm not that bothered about the grape tbh, but if you all know that the dog behaves like this why on earth wasn't the dog in the crate, and the dc/ dog being carefully watched! I mean, it's known for being aggressive and has attacked your dc previously. Wtf?! Small dogs can still cause significant damage - I've literally just commented that a similar dog (running around un-muzzled on a campsite where children were playing) bit my then 3yo dd below her eye. A centimetre higher and she may have lost her sight.

I really wouldn't be visiting again. Your dc can see your sister elsewhere - at yours, or meet up somewhere. And you need to tell your parents why you will no longer be visiting them unless the dog is in its crate when you're there, or they come to you (without the dog).

Whatafustercluck · 21/08/2025 07:57

DearDenimEagle · 21/08/2025 07:49

Agree with first part, but it is a chihuahua. Not a pit bull. It will bite but not likely to kill. And she did say it was a puppy nip. I’ve a pup now, bites all the time, but it’s playing as it does with other pups. It’s taking longer to stop than my others but I’ll get there. Even on my throat, it isn’t hard enough to break skin, and it’s a lot bigger than a chihuahua.

Show quote history

My friend has needed stitches on her mouth/ nose due to her dachshund's food possessiveness when she's had to wrestle something unsuitable out of its mouth. My dd could have lost her sight due to a small dog bite. The size of the dog is not relevant. Just because they cannot kill, does not mean they cannot maim.

Returnofjude · 21/08/2025 08:03

TheCheekyCyanHelper · 20/08/2025 20:52

It didn't break the skin, so nothing to report.

Show quote history

It has since they got it and has drew blood on myself before and all the family that live there.

blood
means skin was broken

Willyoujust · 21/08/2025 08:14

I would never set foot in that house again. They should come and visit you where the environment is more suitable for your young children. What a cow!

Returnofjude · 21/08/2025 08:21

Willyoujust · 21/08/2025 08:14

I would never set foot in that house again. They should come and visit you where the environment is more suitable for your young children. What a cow!

Oh apparently the mum and sister has a “toxic co dependency” thang going-on

and probably one or more suffers from “anxiety” of some sort and maybe another “suffers” from agoraphobia

Sennelier1 · 21/08/2025 08:29

ShesTheAlbatross · 19/08/2025 14:40

I wouldn’t have apologised, I wouldn’t be paying, and I wouldn’t be visiting again. This dog bites your children! I find it hard to believe you still visit, no matter how much your eldest likes your sister.

Exactly this! If you still want your 3 year old to spend time with his aunt, invite her to come to your place or to meet in the playground. Anyway, I wouldn't take my children to a place where an untrained dog is shedding and licking and biting.